Removal of endocrine-disrupting chemicals by ozonation in sewage treatment.

Treatment experiments by two laboratory scale semi-batch reactors and a demonstration scale process were both carried out to evaluate endocrine disrupting chemical removal characteristics by ozonation in sewage treatment. In the semi-batch mode experiments, secondary effluent and primary effluen of sewage treatment plants were ozonated respectively. Behaviour of brominated by-products was also evaluated. The results based on these studies indicated that estrogenicity in wastewater can be removed by ozonation effectively. The condition of ozonation until dissolved ozone concentration increased to 0.1 mg/L, which corresponded to 1 mgO3/mgC and 0.4 mgO3/mgC of ozone consumption per initial DOC for secondary effluent and primary effluent, respectively, is proposed as an appropriate operational condition for efficient removal of EDCs as well as UV254 and SUVA without production of brominated by-products.